Marine Sanctuary Tweed Heads to Cape Howe

[squidgie]

Now here is an email we received from a subscriber in a diving group that are livered at the prospect of this ratbag gang green mob telling the public that they are closing up the ocean.

The Email:

Protecting our oceans to benefit us all now and for future Blue Is The New Green

We wanted you to be amongst the first to know that we are launching the biggest NSW marine sanctuary plan ever next Thursday, 4th December.

Thank you for your involvement in this campaign to date. Your support is very important to us.

Thursday’s launch will unveil a proposal to gain marine sanctuary status for 20% of NSW oceans. This will include the creation of the largest urban marine park in the world and collectively result in over 200,000ha of completely protected marine sanctuaries reaching from Tweed Heads in the north to Cape Howe in the south.

Further information on the plan and how you can help will follow after the launch!

Thanks once again for your role in this campaign. We look forward to continuing to work together to help provide the world’s best protection for NSW oceans and the marine life that calls it home.

Kind regards,
Nicky

Nicky Hammond
Marine Program Manager
National Parks Association of NSW
PO Box 337, Newtown NSW 2042
Tel: 02 9299 0000; Fax: 02 9290 2525
Email: marine@marine.org.au … Website: www.marine.org.au

[pink nipper]

Squidgy,

I sometimes speak with a Fisheries Scientist who is a Veterinarian .. Dr. Matt Landos. He lives up here on the northern rivers, he is also a very keen recreational angler. I
will include an email he forwarded to me re marine parks. There is also a very interesting bit on the end about one of the real reasons for declining
fish stocks, this relates directly to the fact there may be no bass or yellow eye mullet left in the Noosa River soon. One of his views to protect fish habitat is for the government to buy back
all the land 50 metres each side of all rivers and revegetate them with what was there origionally including mangrove swamp, wetland etc. to get rid of acid sulphate fish kills. He also
thinks it would cost too much for the government to do. There are smart people on our side. Email follows -

On Thursday 31st October 2008, I attended Professor Kearney’s speech at the NSW Fisheries Research centre, Cronulla. This is my account of the seminar.



The seminar started at 4pm. There were between 50 and 60 attendees. Most were DPI Fisheries staff, about 10 or so Rec anglers, including a few luminaries and holders of prominent positions. Jack Tait drove from Batemans Bay just for the seminar and drove home that night. A significant number of MPA staff, including Brendan Kelaher, Manager of the Batemans Marine Park , plus a senior Policy adviser to DECC on MPAs. Also there appeared to be a few Green conservationists. I was told there were a few scuba divers as well.



Bob is a very good speaker, with a slightly pugnacious delivery style on this subject, which sounded good to my ears .. perhaps not to the MPA however.



The speech was exactly as delivered, with the attached document (14 pages), and should be carefully read. After he finished speaking there was a Q & A session.



Dr Kelaher asked Bob if it was true that the reason he was opposed to the Batemans Marine Park was because he had lost his favourite jewfish fishing spot. Bob replied “that he was unimpressed with the inference and for the benefit of Dr Kelaher, and anybody else who wished to think that was important he had never fished in the area now covered in the Batemans Marine Park , for jewfish or anything else.”



The issue here is not so much that Bob took exception to the suggestion that a self-interest such as this would bias his approach to the science of this public policy issue, but rather Dr Kelaher's inference that anybody who had a particular interest in any part of the Park, for example an angler who wished to fish in a certain spot they may have fished in for years, would be a biased commentator on the subject.



This is just yet another example of the vilification of fishers by the Marine Parks Authority that Bob describes in his seminar. There is no doubt the staff of the Marine Parks Authority and the Nature Conservation Council, National Parks Association and the Wilderness Society have an anti-fishing bias that is projected with considerable zealotry.



By making this statement Dr Kelaher confirmed that he holds the view that anybody who fishes would not be capable of unbiased comment, and really should not be allowed to defend their opposition to the loss of their favourite fishing spot.



In reality the supporters of marine parks cannot counter Professor Kearney's science, so they revert to personal attacks and innuendo as a way of manufacturing reasons why he should not be listened to. These actions also confirm that the so called 'consultation' by the Marine Parks Authority does not extend to listening to, let alone taking notice of, anybody who has a real interest in the park that is contrary to the closing of huge areas to fishing. Clearly to the Authority the science is irrelevant.

Next Dr. Kelaher stated that he had been misquoted in the Sydney Morning Herald piece on BMP, which Bob mentioned in his speech (page 12). He claimed the quote that Bob mentioned on Page 12 of his speech should have been “What we know is that Biodiversity will NOT increase in sanctuary zones”.



To my ears Dr. Kelaher’s correction absolutely begged the question .. “Why would the SMH print his true statement, when it sound so profoundly incorrect when talking about a warm and fuzzy thing like a Marine Park ?” Also the cynicism of Minister Firth in the “Northern Star” newspaper stating how good Marine Parks would be to “preserve (the) recreational fisher’s future” being printed shortly after the Richmond River fish kill.



A question from the DECC rep was rather obscure, suggesting that MPAs were only “one tool in the toolbox”, and he went off at a tangent discussing his own question before Bob could get to it. He did say one thing which was outlandish in that anchoring is banned in Sanctuary Zones as well as fishing, shell collecting etc. He was picked up on anchoring and was surprised that it was not .. certainly in Batemans Marine Park . It is quite OK to drag your anchor all the way across a seagrass Sanctuary Zone, but put a hooked line in the water .. $550, thank you very much!

Bob tried to answer this question by giving the analogy that the MPAs were rather like a screwdriver trying to cut down a tree, which was nice and succinct.



There was about 1 hours Q&A’s, however two questions bothered me. One was a female, who knew her stuff on Underwood’s paper (page 6 & 7), was quite aggressive when stating that it would cost a fortune to individually work out which areas were safe to trawl, rather than adopting the “thousands of papers” vilifying trawling as the status quo and accepting that. Bob answered this question very carefully and made the valid point that Underwood’s paper was specifically on NSW, specifically on a sand substrate (not rocky reef), specifically was on the Clarence River, and specifically on Prawn trawling, whereas all her data was from overseas and on different substrates.



Bob claimed the Marine Parks Authority was trying to get all rec. fishers on side by claiming “Trawling is bad and we are good”. The claimed improvements in Batemans MP, because NSW Trawling has been removed, would also have been substantially helped by the $250mill Commonwealth buyout of Commonwealth waters (>3nm) as well. After the meeting I heard her accusing Bob of “not allowing the people adjacent to Batemans Marine Park to enjoy their Marine Park ” .. she was really quite aggressive. (anyone know her, could I get her name please)



Another was from a fellow with a white T shirt and cap (anyone know him, could I get his name please) who claimed the truth behind the massive size of tarpon in the “spillover” from Merritt Island (Cape Canaveral) Refuge (Callum Roberts, U of York) was proof that MPAs worked. Bob explained the answer, however it was fairly complex and he did not understand it ... I do not think he was a scientist.



Summarizing the seminar and Prof. Kearney’s paper



1. Bob has loaded the bullets, somebody has to have the financial backing to fire them ... could I suggest a legal opinion on zoning within Marine Parks, from an SC or QC. This MUST be done. Estuaries and Beach sanctuary zones MUST be fought. The VERY strong point that Bob makes is that Rec and Commercial fishers have been banned from 20-25% of Estuaries and Beaches, for absolutely NO demonstrable gain, either practically or even theoretically. This has cost recreational anglers millions of dollars, with NO compensation. This has cost NSW seafood industries millions of dollars, with a pittance compensation. This has cost the NSW public much less access to fresh NSW fish.



2. Rec fishermen HAVE to work together with Commercial fishermen. He made the interesting point that if, hypothetically, all commercial fishers disappeared and ALL our fish was imported, the move by the Greens and Conservationists to ban fishing ALTOGETHER would be made a lot easier. Who would take sympathy on a SPORT that kills defenceless fish?? As it stands now NSW IMPORTS about 90% of all its fish .. interstate and O’seas.



3. Marine Parks are no more than fisheries allocation exercises that will NEVER protect biodiversity. This is particularly so in beaches and estuaries. The only thing banned in MPAs is fishing



4. The Marine Parks Authority by deliberately deleting the data and documentation relating to ocean beaches from their paper on “Benefits of MPAs 2008” have committed scientific fraud. As far as I am concerned this is the worst sin in science, and I will be working over the next few months to work out who did this.



5. Bob Kearney makes, and has always made the point that well designed marine parks are a necessity for Australia . Not simply as a requirement for Comprehensive, Representative and Adequate areas set aside, but as useful tools in the protection of marine biodiversity.



6. Legal opinions need to be sought on a variety of issues. We have several “expert witnesses” who are absolutely disillusioned with the MPA and, dare I say it, the majority of DPI (Fisheries). This is for the near future, and should be organized by national fishing bodies.





Finally I would like to add the following section from an Email I received today from a Fisheries Scientist who is a Veterinarian .. Dr. Matt Landos. If you want the attachments (3meg) please email me.

He is talking about an aquaculture enterprise in QLD that was poisoned following spray drift .. do you think the same issue could apply to estuaries and rivers?



“It includes my veterinary report on the fish hatchery where massive losses can be clearly attributed to spray drift from an adjacent macadamia farm. Also a diagnostic report from the QDPI NATA accredited laboratory. The hatchery only serves as a visible example of what is happening silently and invisibly under the surface of our estuaries and rivers.



The use of these chemicals is widespread and needs to be flagged as a key threatening process in all catchments where these chemicals are used.



Please see attached some follow-on information from previous email that makes highly recommended reading. It includes my veterinary report on the fish hatchery where massive losses can be clearly attributed to spray drift from an adjacent macadamia farm. Also a diagnostic report from the QDPI NATA accredited laboratory. The hatchery only serves as a visible example of what is happening silently and invisibly under the surface of our estuaries and rivers.



The use of these chemicals is widespread and needs to be flagged as a key threatening process in all catchments where these chemicals are used.



The epidemiological and clinical evidence makes clear temporal links between declining freshwater fish populations and chemical use (in particular carbendazim and methidathion) in the Noosa River . Further the clinical trials on the affected hatchery indicate that wild stock are being contaminated in the wild by these chemicals, at sufficient levels to destroy reproductive capacity. See attached peer reviewed paper which demonstrates the ability of carbedazim to cause teratogenicity in frogs,… it is also strongly associated with reproductive issues in humans. What is key, is to note the miniscule quantities of exposure that are required to cause a clinical impact on developing embryos. The levels of chemical required are likely to be under the limit of detection and limit of reporting of current assays.

I have alerted the APVMA, EPA and QDPIF and consider this my due diligence under the Veterinary Surgeons Act to NSW DPI.



The registration of these chemicals by the APVMA does not take into account any reproductive impacts on aquatic animals. The registration decision is largely based on LD 50- ie survival of adult fish to chemical exposure. In this case the bass broodfish appeared clinical normal in an external examination. I will be attempting to get some research projects underway which review the impacts of these chemicals on Australian native fish eggs and larvae”.





COMMENTS AND QUERIES ARE STRONGLY REQUESTED ON THE ABOVE, AS WELL AS ON Prof. KEARNEY’S PRESENTATION.

My ten cents worth...yep I email the polititions and I hate those ignorant people out there doing nothing to sustain our fisheries into the future....The Pink Nipper

[Prof]

Has anyone clearly defined what the sanctuary is supposed to protect??

Also the devestation caused by run off from agricultural pusuits is beyond a joke...they like alot of the industrial sites that front our catchments and waterways, who is monitoring them ..the EPA ...I dunno....with reference to the spray drift from the Macadamia farm, I would also like to know what surfactant they use with there chemicals..cause these do not break down so readily..and they can have a major impact on the surface tension of fish and frog eggs!!

Any way someone better do something soon or we will all be locked out !!


My 10 cents...

Sorry to ramble!!

[maxi]

good questions mate ..... how about the latest proposal by the greens to have a park from gosford to the gong ... what a bloody joke ... they have gotta be kidding Eh .. ??? ....

[Prof]

Has anyone got any data on the impact of recreational fishing???

Has the government done anything about the size and bag limits on the species that the greens are concerned about???

Has the commercial fishing industry done anything in a proactive way to curb the amount of bycatch that happens all up and down the coast??

I know myself that I self impose restrictions on the size and number of fish that i take home from a session!!

Why does the department of Fisheries and the National park authority want to make it a blanket ban on all types of fishing??

Okay I might be ignorant in asking all these questions...maybe I haven't done enough personal research, but who do you believe??

I feel that fishing should be allowed anywhere..but in sensitive areas the size and bag limits should be reduced.

It is only greed and the want of money that causes people to overstep the mark !!

Cheers.

[squidgie]

Hey guy's I'm totally opposed to bloody Marine Parks i have yet to see one do any good except to keep the Labor Party in power they will sell their souls to the devil to stay in power, Byron Marine park, questions why the hell keep fishers out yet let trawlers in, 200 for park 6000 against and still passed, were are the Grey Nurse Sharks none or should i say not many there since the Abattoirs closed down no blood no sharks, the Grey Nurse Shark thing is what the bloody Greens use to get their way no scientific prof at all just bull shyt by Greens i would like to use some of them as bait i really do hate them, i sorry but anyone that wants to stand by and watch all Australians loss their right to fish or hunt is a bloody traitor to the Australian way of life, all man on earth are hunter gathers, it is bred into us from our ancestors, we can do things better by putting in closed seasons or limited bags or making areas catch and release only pretty bloody simple to me, we need to retrain our farmers to use less chemicals, we need to be smarter not take way what we all enjoy, not costing us hundreds of thousands of jobs in the fishing industry, bloody Greens have one agenda and one only and that is to close the whole of the East Coast of Australia to all fishing AND THAT''S A FACT JACK', and if we don't all get our heads together and fight these bastards we will be not fishing at all soon, sorry guy's but they really make me mad i have been to meetings in Parliament House in Sydney to meet with the Premier Bob Carr and the Fisheries Minister of that era and they backed out of meeting they arranged and payed for, Dr Jon Jenkins helped organize meeting as well as Ken Thurlow from Ecofishers, the meeting was great just no one from Labor party attended, they are and still are the puppets of the Greens

squidgie

[Prof]

I agree with ya 100% Squidgie!!

Well said, we as a fishing community across the nation need to band togeather to oppose the total ban on fishing!!

We need to show them that we can fish in a sustainable way and preserve the fish for our future generations!!

As you say certain areas are catch and release only!!

lower the bag limits!!

Increase the size, also put a maximum size on certain species to preserve our breeding stocks. e.g. 70cm on Dusky Flathead!!

Closed seasons at times of breeding...granted this has been done on certain species..but it could be expanded !!

Thanx for spurring us on mate ...your a champion!!

[maxi]

yep its scary allright mate........ dont they realize yet that so many rec fishos now have changed there attitude to what they keep and what they release.. sure the renegade brigade is still active but its getting smaller by the day, what. with all the good education that is happening in schools and such, and all the good oil that is written on sustainable fishing practices in all the reputable magazines and published articles.... youve just got to have a look around on the better fishing websites to see the change of attitude by rec fishers... its undeniable that us as rec fishers have changed our tune and go out of our way to help promote sustainable fishing practices.... bloody money and votes win everytime with bugger all consultation on the ground level.... the pros have been flogging the river out the back of my place for weeks now taking all the small prawns and i mean small.... rob from northern rivers seafood who gives a report every fri morn on abc radio even said that all prawns caught this week went to bait as they were too small to cook and eat .... wheres the sustainability in that ????? buggers me ...

the greens suck ..... idiots ...

no need to apologise for ya feelings on our site squidgie..... were with ya mate bigtime ....

Maxi

[squidgie]

Hi all,


I received the following email from Rod Burston - Prof Kearney will be on 2KY's Hi-Tide program this Sunday morning. In view of the NPA's announcement it would be worth listening to,


I have not included the attachment mentioned as it can be obtained from AAG's Google site.


Phil


-----------------------------------------------------


Hello All,

South Coast ECOfishers and the Narooma Port Committee have arranged for Professor Robert Kearney to appear on the 2KY High Tide program this Sunday, 7-12-08.

Bob believes the Marine Park Authority has "hoodwinked" the community about the benefits of marine parks and has accused the organisation of scientific fraud (see attached the text of his speech delivered during a seminar at NSW Fisheries a few weeks ago)

Bob is one of Australia's best known marine scientists and worked for NSW Fisheries for years, including a stint as chief scientist. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Fisheries at the University of Canberra. In 2005 he was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of his contribution to international and Australian fisheries research and management.

Bob has demonstrated great courage in standing up to the ideologues in the Marine Park Authority in defence of sound science and the rights and freedoms of the fishing community.

I urge you all to tune in about 6.30am on Sunday morning to hear what he has to say. Even our most informed and experienced fishing lobbyists will be stunned by the revelations.

If you want to ask a question , you can email it to the program coordinator, Sue Partridge ( partridges@tabcorp.com.au ) before the weekend. Bob is doing a telephone interview so questions need to be emailed in advance and the presenter may ask them on your behalf.

Cheers

Rod Burston

South Coast ECOfishers

[squidgie]

A PROPOSAL for a massive marine park stretching along Sydney's coast - from Gosford in the north to the Royal National Park in the south and three kilometres out to sea - is being launched today.

The National Parks Association of NSW wants the State Government to fulfil a long-standing election commitment to create a full system of marine reserves along the NSW coast, including off Sydney.

The proposed 103,000-hectare Sydney Marine Park would take in all four of the region's estuaries, including Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay. If adopted, it would be the largest urban marine park in the world.

Not all of the proposed park would be closed to recreational and commercial fishing, the parks association's marine program manager, Nicky Hammond, said. It would have a system of gazetted multiple-use zones and only a small percentage of areas would be protected from all forms of exploitation, she said.

The marine park would take in part of the area used annually for the humpback whale migration, as well as penguin habitats and large tracts of ocean and estuaries frequented by dolphins. There are also populations of seahorses and seadragons. Sydney Harbour alone has nearly 600 species of fish. "There's a huge diversity of marine life," Ms Hammond said. "It's a teeming underwater world down there next to a huge, bustling city."

Large and controversial marine parks have been created in areas of NSW including near Batemans Bay off the Eurobodalla Coast, in Jervis Bay and at Port Stephens. But the Government has failed to declare a marine park in Sydney's coastal waters.

As part of a report on NSW marine conservation being released today by the parks association, a second major coastal reserve is also proposed - for the Eden-Twofold Bay area, just north of the Victorian border.

The association is also calling for 1500-metre exclusion zones to be imposed around all of the known habitats for the critically endangered grey nurse sharks.

Paul Winn, who wrote the association's report, said the new marine park was important because the area was under so much pressure. "A Sydney Marine Park represents an opportunity to provide ecological sustainability to a much-loved and used part of the Australian coastline," the report says.

Recreational fishing groups have bitterly fought the creation of marine parks and will almost certainly oppose any further conservation measures.

Brad Warren, the executive chairman of Oceanwatch - which represents the environmental interests of the commercial fishing industry - said the process had to be based on rigorous science.

"There would need to be compensation for all businesses negatively impacted, including commercial fishing operators, bait shops and tackle shops," Mr Warren said.

A spokesman for the Environment Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, said the report would be referred to the Marine Parks Authority for advice.

The state had six large, multiple-use marine parks covering 345,000 hectares - or 34 per cent of NSW waters - 12 aquatic reserves covering 2000 hectares and marine and estuarine components of national parks and nature reserves, the spokesman said.



The Telegraph:

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/s ... 21,00.html

Anglers fear marine greenies
PLANS to be announced today for the world's first big city marine park - stretching from Newcastle through Sydney to Wollongong - have sparked fears hundreds of thousands of anglers will be locked out of their favourite fishing spots.

The National Parks Association, a non-government conservation organisation, will also reveal its scheme for a network of "marine protection zones" running down the entire NSW coast.

The NPA has enlisted world famous marine activist Valerie Taylor to launch its proposals, which have already been endorsed by Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore. The NPA's marine park proposals for the Hawkesbury Shelf bio-region - the coast between Newcastle and Wollongong - would divide waterways into different zones where various activities are banned.

National parks: Slugged just to see nature

NPA marine program manager Nicky Hammond said yesterday the park would include Sydney Harbour, Broken Bay, Botany Bay and Port Hacking as well as inshore ocean waters.

It also includes many of the state's most famous beaches.

"The proposed Sydney Marine Park will provide protection for the area's diverse habitats including rocky reefs and sponge gardens, which are home to hundreds of marine species," Ms Hammond said.

"While commercial and recreational fishing continues in marine parks, fully protected sanctuary zones within the park will help boost the numbers, size and productivity of our fish, help protect endangered species and provide valuable tourism and economic benefits."

The NPA will also reveal today its plan for a marine protection network from Tweed Heads in the north to Cape Howe in the south.

Anglers fear being locked out of scores or even hundreds of famous fishing spots. Anglers' Action Group president Phil Ingram said yesterday anglers did not object to marine parks which had undergone proper scientific assessment.

[Prof]

Below is an extract taken from the NPA Marine website, I have edited certain sections in red to highlight my concerns, as to weather these can be answered remains to be seen!!






The World's Best Protection for NSW

The biggest NSW marine sanctuary plan ever was launched on 4th December 2008 by NPA.

If implemented this will help gain the world's best protection for NSW oceans.

More marine protection

The aim of this campaign is to gain marine sanctuary status for 20% of NSW oceans reaching from Tweed Heads in the north to Cape Howe in the south.

These sanctuaries will give our NSW oceans complete protection from the impacts of fishing( What sort of fishing??). In turn this will help to boost the numbers, size and productivity of our fish, help protect our critically endangered species and provide valuable tourism and economic benefits. (Where will this come from if we aren't allowed to fish???)

These sanctuaries will also lead to healthier marine populations that will be more resilient to threats like climate change.(How??)

Appreciating NSW oceans

NSW oceans are unique. Our mix of sub-tropical and temperate waters house a vast selection of habitats including reefs, kelp forests, seagrass beds and sponge gardens. Each habitat is home to incredible marine life - many found nowhere else in the world.

Aside form the fun we have swimming in it, boating on it and fishing within it, our oceans provide us with the air we breathe, balance our weather patterns and maintain our coastlines. They also provide the traditional fish favourites like snapper, kingfish and prawns that we love to eat. ( how will we get these if they close it to fishing???)


Our Blue Wilderness is Under Threat
This beautiful blue wilderness is under threat - overfishing, marine debris, coastal development and climate change are unbalancing this underwater world - leading to a decline in our fish favourites, extinction of unique NSW species (Please state which species??) and the death of coral and seagrass beds.

Despite having some marine protection in NSW, there is little complete protection, especially from the impacts of overfishing. The outlook for our marine areas looks bleak unless we do something now. It's time to act!


Protecting our oceans to benefit us all now and for future -
Blue Is The New Green


The NPA Solution

Whilst NSW has 3 types of marine protected areas;
- marine parks
- aquatic reserves
- marine extensions of national land parks
these can give little protection, especially from the impacts of fishing.( Again what types of fishing??)
NPA have been investigating the best way to protect our oceans by talking to specialists and scientists both at home and abroad. The result is our 'Torn Blue Fringe' report. The proven solution it suggests is the implementation of a network of marine sanctuary areas.


Beautiful Blue Sanctuaries

Marine sanctuaries are widely considered to be the best way to look after our marine life. These fully protected waters provide favourite spots for swimming, boating, diving and snorkelling, at the same time as being a safe haven for fishes.

Marine sanctuaries help boost the numbers, size and productivity of our fish, help protect our critically endangered species and provide valuable tourism and economic benefits. They build healthier, more resilient marine populations, providing insurance against climate change (how??)and other threats.

NSW currently has only 6.7% of its oceans in marine sanctuaries. International scientific consensus calls for a minimum of 20%. Fish nursery grounds, sites for critically endangered species and huge areas of ocean, such as those around Sydney, have been ignored for sanctuary protection.

Do you want to continue to enjoy our pristine coastline, or swim in unpolluted clear waters or simply want to enjoy snapper for supper?

If so please support us today. You can help us to gain marine sanctuary status for 20% of NSW oceans by implementing an intricate web of protection across NSW oceans.

Our initial target areas are:

1. Sydney Marine Park - This would be the first marine park in the world to be based around a major city. It's huge diversity of habitats includes rocky reefs and sponge gardens, which are home to hundreds of species including seahorse and snapper. There is already huge community support for protection for this much loved and used part of the coastline.

Since marine parks are multiple use, all activities aside from mining can continue. Recreational and commercial fishing in the majority of the park is balanced by fully protected sanctuary zones in other areas of the park.

2. Twofold Shelf Marine Park - This marine area is completely unprotected even though 65% of the coastline borders terrestrial national parks. It's a primary nesting ground for albatross and an important route for migratory humpback whales. Key habitats include seagrasses and mangroves which are nursery grounds for the next generation of fish.

Sanctuary areas in certain areas of the park will provide complete protection for marine life, whilst fishing activities continue in the remainder of the park - helping provide a more sustainable balance of activities in the area.

3. Grey Nurse Sanctuaries - Grey Nurse Sharks remain at just 16 NSW sites. 1500 metre sanctuary protection is essential in these areas to recover their population. These sharks are listed as critically endangered with only 500 left along Australia's east coast.

These areas, in time, will be complemented by additional sanctuary areas along the NSW coast building a stronger network of protection for our oceans.

It's the biggest NSW marine sanctuary plan ever!

The success of this whole campaign would be healthy and thriving NSW oceans for us all to benefit from now and in the future.


Conserving our oceans benefits us all - Blue is new Green!


Help us make Blue the new Green!

If you want the world's best protection for NSW oceans and the marine life that calls it home, then donate today!

Please click here to make an online donation or phone us on
(02) 9299 0000.

Campaign funding will enable us to:

o Lobby the Premier and relevant NSW ministers to approve our plan at the highest decision making level
o Conduct a community education campaign
o Engage with local community groups including dive groups, conservationists and water recreationalists

By donating today together we can make
BLUE THE NEW GREEN


Alternatively you can support us by:

- Signing our e-lobby form asking our Ministers to implement this plan
- Signing up to our newsletter to stay updated on all the latest news and events at NPA
- Volunteering your skills to help the campaign
- Writing letters to the editor in your local paper asking for an increase in protection for the recommended sanctuary areas in your region